tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post4257792743285131722..comments2023-08-15T09:39:41.235-05:00Comments on Sutured for a Living: How much pain will there be?rlbateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-69394631678100576042008-05-26T18:08:00.000-05:002008-05-26T18:08:00.000-05:00Thanks, Ian. I've told patients similar things. ...Thanks, Ian. I've told patients similar things. It just doesn't always seem enough to me though few come back and tell me that it was "lots worse" than they expected. So maybe I'm doing better than I think.rlbateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-84615267559359307772008-05-26T18:02:00.000-05:002008-05-26T18:02:00.000-05:00I face the same problem removing wisdom teeth all ...I face the same problem removing wisdom teeth all the time - often they have never had local (so you have to find an analogy for that) and post op pain. I don't usually try to make a comparison other than to say that it'll hurt for the first 48 hours, we'll provide pain medication (which seems to satisfy the fear of po pain) and that if anything feels worse rather than better after 48 hours I want to hear from them (satisfies the fear of having to manage on their own). When i'm describing he procedure I use the line "the first day you'll be numb and will feel great. The next day you'll hate my guts". It's trite but it makes them laugh every time and get's the point across. BTW enjoy the blog. Ian.Ian Furst https://www.blogger.com/profile/11795888117578055704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-17307461614062109492008-05-25T10:25:00.000-05:002008-05-25T10:25:00.000-05:00Thanks, Dr David. It's just tough in patients who...Thanks, Dr David. It's just tough in patients who can't seem to help you find something to compare.rlbateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-88266397513497370362008-05-25T09:04:00.000-05:002008-05-25T09:04:00.000-05:00Personally, I think your approach is dead on, espe...Personally, I think your approach is dead on, especially the comparison to every day events, like a deep bruise or a papercut. It's tough to quantify pain, especially since everyone's perception of pain is different... so I usually take that approach and try to draw a comparison with something painful the patient has probably already experienced. For example, people always ask me how much pain they will experience after donating bone marrow.... I tell them that I've been told it feels like you've banged your hip into the corner of a coffee table or desk.Doctor Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05561641468831789428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-21358140508252160472008-05-23T20:44:00.000-05:002008-05-23T20:44:00.000-05:00Thanks, Medrecgal.Thanks, Medrecgal.rlbateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-36568711711575839252008-05-23T20:16:00.000-05:002008-05-23T20:16:00.000-05:00Yeah, pain is a rather subjective phenomenon, whic...Yeah, pain is a rather subjective phenomenon, which is probably why it's hard to tell someone else how much a given procedure or experience will hurt. I don't have children, but I have some surgical experience that has taught me plenty. Although I'm inclined because of it to think: (1) the fear can be worse than the actual pain; (2)that the worst kind of pain is the unexpected kind; and (3) it's always interesting to hear stories from the "trenches" (like the docs and other health related professions) because there's such an enormous variety of ways people respond. Sometimes being "too quiet" about it is looked upon as skeptically as those who are die-hard complainers. (I'm one of the former, which sometimes wigs out health care folks!) Don't know how I'd do at the extremes, but I do know I've had a few migraines that were worse than anything that happened post-surgery. Can't even begin to imagine things like kidney stones or unmedicated labor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-25617144488079522872008-05-22T18:08:00.000-05:002008-05-22T18:08:00.000-05:00Thank you, Noble Pig.Thank you, Noble Pig.rlbateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-56102030434862533582008-05-22T18:06:00.000-05:002008-05-22T18:06:00.000-05:00I have to say, after an earlobe repair (both ears)...I have to say, after an earlobe repair (both ears)that didn't hurt, after coming home...holey moley...swollen ears and the pain was incredible. It's hard to gauge the pain since we are all so different. It's funny though how we all want the doc to tell us EXACTLY what we are in for as far as pain. As if you should know how we feel.<BR/><BR/>Nice site, I just sort of found you..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-21850900830572086552008-05-22T17:48:00.000-05:002008-05-22T17:48:00.000-05:00Thanks for the input, PK.Thanks for the input, PK.rlbateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15236331355857884458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675087351939177300.post-5638088975919279112008-05-22T17:43:00.000-05:002008-05-22T17:43:00.000-05:00The problem is, everyone is different. My best fri...The problem is, everyone is different. My best friend is the type that the less pain she expects, the less she feels ..and the more I expect, the less I feel. <BR/>The surgeries that I've been told would be the most difficult, have been the easiest, and the ones that I've been told would be easy, were harder than ... well ... <BR/><BR/>My sinus, thymectomy and breast reduction were all ones I was told to expect pain, I got through all of those ok. <BR/>My gall bladder everyone told me how 'easy' it was now .. it was the WORST!!! Absolute worst of the surgeries I'd had. My bladder surgery ...oh geesh! <BR/><BR/>I'd much rather expect more pain, give me the horror stories ..and I can prepare. Then again, I had 2 kids by natural childbirth (no epi) and the youngest was over 9 lbs (and I knew it)and they were no where near as painful as most of my surgeries, so my reactions to pain aren't exactly normal. <BR/><BR/>Pk30 years from Darlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03604086288959202055noreply@blogger.com